Ministry Of Defence Lose £527,879 In Items Over 10 Months

The Ministry of Defence has had over half a million pounds worth of equipment lost or stolen since March 2011 including swords and a bearskin, new figures have revealed.

Evidence placed in the House of Commons library shows the MoD has lost or had stolen £527,879 in items ranging from a £280 XBox 360 to £5,500 worth of historical broadswords.

The most expensive item was a telescopic rod worth £67,000 and the least expensive was 12 lost CDs worth £5.

Other lost or stolen items included meat, tropical shoes and a professional pregnancy kit worth £230.

Overall the department have lost just under £50,000 worth of night vision equipment, including goggles worth £2,500.

Madeline Moon, the Labour MP who uncovered the figures told Huff Post UK the list went from the worrying to the humorous: "The list of items lost or stolen from the MOD varies from the humorous, a shed door and a lost bear skin to the deeply worrying laptops, military equipment such as night vision goggles, smoke grenades and radios.

"The loss of so many TV sets looks very much like a problem of systemic theft from bases. These thefts are mainly from bases with armed security and is deeply worrying.

"It is time for the MoD to take its equipment security seriously this is tax payers' money that is being lost in atoms of cuts to military budgets."

A spokesperson for the MoD said: "The MoD takes any loss or theft of equipment very seriously and has robust procedures in place to prevent possible future incidents.

"New processes and instructions have also been implemented to raise awareness of the need for vigilance in all aspects of Departmental security.

"Investigations are undertaken into every loss or theft, and appropriate disciplinary action taken against those caught."

See the slideshow below for a list of highlights from the list

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A "sword" (£636), "historic broadswords" (£5,300) and a "ceremonial sword" (cost not recorded)

The costliest item on the list - £67,000 of telescopic rods

Various items of night vision equipment ranging from £2,500 to £13,237 - costing £50,000 in total